HeARTwork

Links to the HeArtwork Gallery Collection by loraleirose

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HeArtwork by loraleirose

HeARTwork: Process & Praxis

Please read below to understand how I create some of my pieces, what/who has inspired some of my work and my overall relationship to my heARTwork.

She is Extraordinary, Feb 2009

Hand Collage

On Art & Energy

“She is Extraordinary” was inspired by a long time friend of mine, Dianne Que. Dianne and I were roommates back when we went to UCSD. In many ways, I find her to be extremely talented. She is a writer, an eco-friendly craftswomam, and aspiring photographer to say the least (if you think I am just playing her up, take a look at her work on hurleysashimi.etsy.com).

In regards to the piece itself, although it is intended to be a visual representation of Dianne’s engery as interpreted by me, I have found it to be more universal and appealing in other ways. When I shared this image with women from GABnet Los Angeles (http://www.gabnet.org/), the Butterfly Collective formed by May Fu, and a newly formed Women of Color Collective in Berkely I was moved by how they found a message in the work for them as well.

What does this mean? To me, the fact that other women were drawn to this piece that is representative of Dianne’s energy tells me that as women, we are connected on so many levels- levels which may remain unspoken, but non-the-less real and experienced. I have realized that art can draw us together in community. Where we might not find any similarities to one another, being drawn to the same piece, for example,for whatever reason, binds us in an energetic dimension.

Teacher, May 2008

Hand Collage with Photoshop Adjustments

My Inspiration

I was inspired to create  “Teacher”  one spring afternoon in 2008. I had just arrived home from a screening that the Khmer Girls In Action (see link on my homepage) hosted in the LBC. The screening consisted of short video montages reflecting various sentiments of the identity politics of 2nd generation cambodian girls in Long Beach. They were so young, yet so insightful. That day, I realized how powerful the youth truly are when they are given the opportunity to let their voices be heard. Given the medium of film, the girls artistic-ly spoke on the experience of the generation gap b/n themselves and their parents, on fitting in at school, what it is like to come from a refugee family, etc.

I feel that I often learn about myself through others. The girls touched by heart with their stories. Seeing them stand before and audience and tell their stories with the utmost strength, I felt that they were my teachers. In those moments they taught me that no matter what I face in life I can be strong and see myself through to the end.

Thank you to my all my teachers.

 

 

 

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